1). Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a locking sleeve for fastening a closure device according to the preamble of claim 1 and a closure device for closing a container opening, comprising a closure stopper made of plastic and a locking sleeve of this type.
2). Discussion of Related Art
Closure devices of the type specified initially can in principle be used wherever it is necessary to secure a closure stopper made of plastic in its relative positioning with respect to a part which receives the closure stopper. Particular fields of application are obtained according to the construction of the closure stopper. For example, the closure stopper can be used to close a bottle, the locking sleeve being used to secure the position of the closure stopper in the bottle opening.
A particular field of application for the closure device is obtained during closure of a perfume bottle, the closure stopper usually being embodied as an atomizer which is disposed in the bottle opening.
A closure device used in this manner is known from U.S. Pat. No. 6,253,941 B1, comprising a closure stopper embodied as an atomizer device, which comprises a flange portion as a component of the atomizer device for arranging at the front end of the bottle opening. In its fixing region surrounding the upper edge of the bottle, the closure stopper has a locating flange which encloses the bottle edge and thus defines the position of the closure stopper or the atomizer device in the bottle opening. A locking sleeve is arranged coaxially on the closure stopper for locking the closure stopper in the aforesaid position, this sleeve being axially displaceable with respect to the closure stopper until a stop collar of the locking sleeve comes to rest against a stop face of the atomizer device when this stopper is positioned in the bottle opening. In its locking position, the locking sleeve provided with a retaining device having annular embossed grooves arranged on its inner circumferential surface is located in engagement with the outer circumferential surface of the locating flange of the closure stopper or the atomizer device. In this position, the locating engagement of the locating flange is ensured. As a result of the engagement between the retaining device on the inner surface of the metal locking sleeve with the plastic material of the closure stopper or the locating flange, it is also ensured that the locking sleeve could only be pulled from the bottle neck with a force which does not arise during use of the perfume bottle, that is for example, when pulling off a closure cap which has been slid onto the locking sleeve. It is also effectively prevented that any unintentional release of the locking sleeve from engagement with the closure stopper or the atomizer device can take place when pulling off the closure cap, which could endanger the function of the perfume bottle or the atomizer device.
In the known closure device, the retaining device is formed on the inside of the locking sleeve by annular indentations in the inner wall of the locking sleeve. As a result of the annular retaining device, an effective retaining effect against a withdrawal force which separates the locking sleeve from the closure stopper is certainly obtained. However, the locking sleeve can easily rotate on the closure stopper or the locating flange so that the user of the perfume bottle could have the impression that the atomizer device is inadequately secured on the bottle. The value of the product, that is the perfume bottle, is hereby reduced in the eyes of the user. In addition, it is fundamentally not possible to use the known closure device consisting of a plastic closure stopper and metal locking sleeve in cases in which a relative rotational positioning of the parts relative to one another is to be ensured.